With development of mobile Internet, mobile data traffic will continue to grow significantly in the coming few years, and video services occupy the largest share of network data traffic. Relative to a second-generation/third-generation cellular network that support only unicast, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network supports larger bandwidth, and a multicast service uses a dedicated channel, which reduces network resources. eMBMS is an example in which the LTE network is applied to a video service.
In the prior art, eMBMS solutions include two types. A first type is a terminal device that integrates an application program, an eMBMS service component, and an eMBMS receiving unit. The eMBMS receiving unit is configured to receive an eMBMS service list from a network side, and the service list is provided using the eMBMS service component and the application program to a user for selection. A second type is a terminal device that integrates an application program and an eMBMS service component. An eMBMS receiving unit is integrated into an access device. The terminal device receives a service list and eMBMS data using the eMBMS receiving unit in the access device, where the access device may be mobile Wi-Fi (MiFi), a router, a mobile phone, and the like.
However, in the existing two solutions, the eMBMS data can be received only using the unique eMBMS receiving unit in the terminal device or in the access device, and a service function of one eMBMS receiving unit is limited, thereby leading to a monotonous type of the eMBMS service received by user equipment.